


A Routine for Celebration

by onigirikita



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Car Accidents, Family, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25084252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onigirikita/pseuds/onigirikita
Summary: Kita Shinsuke have lived all his life by being bound to a daily routine that he never fails to finish. But, on the day of his birthday, Shinsuke discards his daily routine in favor to go through the motion of a morespecialkind of routine: one that involves meeting his parents, eating tofu hamburger, and basking in the last rays of sunlight while slurping iced tea.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu (Mentioned)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27
Collections: Kita Birthday week 2020





	A Routine for Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a part of **Kita Birthday Week 2020** for _Day 1_ , with the prompt **"Celebration".**
> 
>  **Trigger Warning** : Explicit description of a car crash and mentions of past character death.

Kita Shinsuke was known for his diligence while doing the duties that he holds. He does mundane things, such as saying his prayers to the deities before eating, with so much focus and seriousness in his actions. He always finished his responsibilities, such as working for a group project, without any flaws in his works– leaving the people who were graced by his presence to be in awe by the sheer perfectness of it. It was an admirable thing to watch, really: his diligence never allowed him to do his duties in a half-assed manner, as he would follow the steps that were necessary in completing them splendidly. The players of Inarizaki’s VBC would regularly bear witness to Shinsuke’s diligence, as they watch him practice (even if he rarely gets the chance to play on matches), clean the gym (from mopping the court to wiping down every volleyball until everything is squeaky clean), and lead the team (by keeping their emotions and their plays in check) with his full effort. Every time they witness the determination in his every action, they were always blown away by his resolve to do things properly.

His strong diligence would then permeate into his routine. For his young age, Shinsuke follows a routine that would make even grown adults cower in shame: as he would finish his them in such a strict manner for every waking day, only allowing minor deviations when the situation around him was out of his control. He was able to do so due to the diligence that he was trained in, of course. He wouldn’t be able to follow the intricacies of his routine without such a willpower and devotion to begin with.

Shinsuke’s daily routine, albeit they were simple if compared to a working adult’s, consists of the following: wake up early every morning, thoroughly clean his room, take a bath, help his grandmother in making breakfast and eat with her, go to school for morning practice, clean the gym before class, go through his classes for the day, go through evening practice, clean the gym and take a shower before going home, help his grandmother in making dinner and eat with her, review the class materials for the day and finish his homework, and go to sleep before 10 PM. He would allow variations in his routine only when he was cleaning the gym (if one of his teammates insists on helping, he would let them– only if he keeps an eye to make sure they were doing it properly) and when he was focusing on his studies in the evening (if he had finished his homework beforehand, he would allow himself the relaxation of finishing novels that Oomimi recommended to him).

His routine would span throughout the year, for 365 days, without fail. Well, unless for when there happens to be two exceptions: when he has fallen ill (in which he rarely does, since Shinsuke always take a very good care in his health) or when it was his birthday. When he was sick, he would throw his daily routine in favor to focus only on drinking the right medicine, eating the right kind of food, staying hydrated, and resting to help him recover faster. When it was his birthday, that was a different thing altogether.

For his birthday, Shinsuke has a separate routine that he would indulge in from ever since he was 5 years old. His “birthday routine”, or so he calls it, consists of the following: wake up early, help his grandmother in making breakfast and eat with her, go to his parents’ gravestone and raise his prayers there, come back home to a birthday lunch made by his grandmother, and spend the rest of the day lounging on the backyard with his grandmother (with the comfort of iced tea and an electric fan as a defender against the heat of July).  


One would think that a 5-year old that has such a sophisticated routine, for a day that was meant for fun and letting lose, as an odd fact. Shinsuke himself does find some amusement in recounting his younger days– as even at the end of his golden age, the gray-haired child has already indulged in such a rigorous schedule; when kids that were his own age can barely remember to follow the distinction between their play time and study time. But his grandmother, who has been raising him ever since his parents’ sudden passing, was an orderly and immaculate woman. Her rearing, and perhaps the low openness trait that he inherits from his parents, would contribute in his own eagerness to follow a clear pattern to go through his day.

In the morning of his 5th birthday, his grandmother would gently rouse him awake with her wrinkled hand, tenderly caressing his gray locks and pushing them away from his face. He’d slowly blink his eyes at her, and his sleep-muddled thoughts would try to process what she was saying amidst the onslaught of sunlight that illuminated his room: “Happy birthday, Shin- _chan_.” His grandmother whispered, her voice warm and light like her touch. His lips would curl into a smile, but they would drop as soon as a sudden realization dawns in his mind, “ _Tou-chan_ and _kaa-chan_ wouldn’t be here, would they?” His question, croaked out through the dryness of his throat, held a resignation that a young child should not have. The sparkle in his golden, fox-like eyes would dim along with the falter of his smile.

Just last year, in a cold winter night and on their drive back to Hyogo, his parents were caught in a deadly hit-and-run car accident. Their car was hit from the side by a large and unsteady container truck, swerving down the icy highway road before they hit the road barriers. The force of the collision and the spin of the car was enough to make the vehicle tip and flip from the barriers, falling hood-first into a steep and rocky mountain slope. Back when he was just 4 years old and was waiting for them to come home, the only information that Shinsuke was allowed to know was that his parents have passed and that they wouldn’t come home anymore. As he grew up, however, he learns more things about the incident: the driver was drunk and immediately left the scene with his bashed container truck, his parents could have been saved if only someone was able to give them CPR (but the road was empty back then, and help arrived only an hour later, when their bodies were already cold and stiff), and no charges were pressed because his grandmother was too distraught in grieve to process anything at that time. Shinsuke has long accepted his parents’ sudden passing, even if he knew that they had a chance to be saved or that they didn’t get the justice that they deserve. But his younger, 5-year old self still held onto the tiny sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, his parents would show up at the front door of his grandmother’s house. 

His grandmother would smile at him once more, but young-Shinsuke could already sense that her smile was a sad one. He’s seen her don that smile many, many times– especially when Shinsuke inquired about his parents. He doesn’t really understand why she would smile when she clearly felt sad– the emotions on her worn face too complex for his young mind to discern. 

Shinsuke stays silent, watching the way the light would reflect onto her glassy eyes, “I’m afraid not, Shin-chan,” She comes to a pause, her mind mulling over something before she continued to speak, “But you can talk to them if we visit their gravestone today. Would you like that?” His golden eyes widen in shock at her proposition. The longing in his youthful heart was still so strong for them, so he takes whatever chance that he can get to feel closer to his parents. He grabs the extended arm that his grandmother overs him, carefully pulling him up from the bed to guide him to the bathroom. 

They bought white chrysanthemums (because, in his fuzzy memory, young-Shinsuke remembers that his mother loves the said flower) and two bottles of milk tea (because both of them have an affinity for the said drink, when other adults would be addicted in coffee or beers) for his parents. The walk to the graveyard itself took around 15 minutes, and then he was respectfully kneeling by their gravestone. The name of his parents were lined with black ink, while Shinsuke’s name was in red– a sign for the relatives that were still alive. His grandmother’s name was carved with the same kind of color on a separate gravestone that currently housed his grandfather’s ashes.

The two figures went through the rituals of visiting a gravestone: their hands gingerly cleaned the grave with scrub and by pouring water from the ladle, they arranged the flowers and drinks that they’ve brought on the stone, and they lit enough incense as an offering to his parents before they prayed. His tiny, pale hands were clasped together in front of him.  
“Tell them what you wish to tell them, Shin- _chan_.” His grandmother urged, the smile that she flashed him less forced than it was when they were back at home.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, suddenly at loss of words on what to say. There have been so much that he wanted to talk to them ever since the horrible day, yet now, Shinsuke wasn’t sure about where to even start. “I miss you, _tou-chan, kaa-chan_ ,” He begins, his voice in a meek whisper, “I’m turning 5 today, but I guess you both wouldn’t be here to celebrate with me,” Shinsuke’s voice ceased into a stop, as he glanced at his grandmother for some kind of appraisal: she nods at him to go on, even though her eyes have turned teary once more. He turns his gaze to focus on their names, carved in beautiful strokes that could never justify the magnificent lives that they led, and continued, “But that’s okay. _Obaa-san_ said you both couldn’t be here with us today because you are resting in the heavens now– I hope you both are doing okay up there and are watching me from above. I am still sad that you’re gone now, but overall, I’m doing okay with _obaa-san_ here. She’s been so nice to me, and she cooks this dish called tofu hamburger just a week ago– it tastes _amazing_! She can cook amazing dishes like a chef!” As he gets more comfortable talking with the heavy silence, his younger self continued to ramble on: about his days at school, his small but precious circle of friends, his grandmother’s delicious cooking, and about other small details in his current life.

Once he was done talking, Shinsuke would turn to his grandmother. His heart felt surprisingly lighter now, as he was too absorbed into pouring his thoughts and feelings out to even notice the significant difference. After all, it _did_ felt as if they were sitting in front of Shinsuke himself and were intently listening to him– the grey-haired child couldn’t seem to hold back when he felt like they were right _there_ to listen to him. She would nod at him, signaling that it was time to go home, and they both worked in tandem to clear out the offering before they left the graveyard. If little Shinsuke saw that there were dried tear tracks on her wrinkled cheeks, he doesn’t bother to openly notify that to her– there was already enough gloominess in this day as it is.

On that very same day, his grandmother indulged him in another portion of tofu hamburger and a small cake that was enough for the two of them. This first celebration of his birthday without his parents were far simpler than how he would usually celebrate them: no wrapped gifts, no balloons, no popping confetti. But his younger self takes whatever that was offered to him, whispering his gratitude to the deities before he digs in. The rest of the day, Shinsuke spends the evening basking in the last light of the day with his grandmother before he retires to his bed.

That was how his “birthday routine” was formed. Like the daily routine that he indulged in, the only diversion that happened in them was when Shinsuke turned 16, right after he finished his first year of high school. He requested to visit his parents alone in the morning of his birthday, and his grandmother would pat his head in understanding, ushering him off with enough money to buy the offerings. Shinsuke clasps his hands in front of the same tombstone that he knelt before 12 years ago, and he wishes his parents well before he continues to recount of his journey to them for the past year. 

He starts by mentioning about his studies: about the difficulty of being in a college preparatory class, about his struggle in dividing his time between school work and volleyball practice, and about his growing interest in environmental studies. He brings up about Inarizaki’s win at the Spring Inter-High, and how he wished he could get one chance to play with his teammates– _they were like monsters_ , Shinsuke recounts, _but they’re all very kind and dedicated folks_. He then describes the three first-years that he met in the club and had the chance to befriend: Ojiro Aran ( _he’s our future ace, but he’s a softie when he’s not on court_ ), Akagi Michinari ( _I still don’t understand how he has so much energy in such a small body, but it helps him perform as a libero_ ), and Oomimi Ren ( _we’re on the same class, and we like to have tea together while we talk about novels_ ). There was a small twitch in Shinsuke’s lips as he recalls their shenanigans and their prowess, and he doesn’t realize that he was smiling when he says that his parents must have been involved in their fateful meeting. He ends his prayers with a promise to take care of his grandmother and himself ( _I know you’re both always watching me from above_ ), and Shinsuke dutifully clears the offerings before he makes his way back home.

What Shinsuke encounters once he stepped into the living room was enough to make him freeze on the spot.

“Happy birthday Shinsuke!” Aran, Michinari, and Ren shouted in glee, their hands simultaneously pulling the confetti popper together and painting the bleak living room with bursts of colors. Shinsuke stood in awe, his eyes watching as the small metallic papers glinted in the air before they carefully fell down to the floor. After the last of the confetti have fallen to the floor, Shinsuke was finally able to get a good look of his surroundings and realized that the plain living room have been decorated for the occasion: helium balloons were tied to heavy objects around the room, there was a small banner that read ‘Happy Birthday Shinsuke!’ taped on one of the walls, and there was a large cake sitting on the coffee table near the couch. The cake itself was pink in color– Shinsuke could guess that it was strawberry-flavored already, and he was delighted in knowing so –and had a swirly frosting with the same words as the ones written on the banner. He spots his grandmother observing the scene from the kitchen, slyly smiling at him– being the minx that she was, Shinsuke could guess that she probably planned about this secretly with them.

“Do you like the surprise, Shinsuke?” Michinari broke the silence, his eyes sparkling in enthusiasm and his hands clasped together in front of him, eagerly waiting for his response. Shinsuke could see that the libero was _vibrating_ from where he stood– the grey-haired teen could guess that he must’ve been wanting to jump onto him for a hug. _Even though he’s friendly and easygoing, he still respects other people’s boundaries and keep his overflowing energy in check_.

“I hope it wasn’t too much. If you don’t like the confetti, it was Michinari’s fault– he was so insistent on using them, that we bought them just to shut him up.” Ren’s lips were pulled in a smirk, his sharp eyes gleaming in mischief as he shot Michinari a taunting look. The shorter boy protested with a soft ‘Hey!’ before he nudged the taller boy’s waist with his elbow. _He’s the calmest among the three, but that doesn’t mean he can’t throw a good tease every so often_.

“We brought you strawberry cake, though!” Aran said, in a futile attempt to divert the other two’s attention from their oncoming brawl, “There was this new bakery that opened right across the school, and we tried to buy them there. We hope you’d like them.” His smile was warm and bright, like the sunlight that streamed into the open room. There was a glint of fondness in his eyes as they flickered from Shinsuke’s shocked state and to the impending fight between Michinari and Ren. _There was always this sense of bravery whenever he’s on court, but when he’s not, his smile is easy and his voice is soft_.

Shinsuke takes it all in once more– the three friends that had willingly come to celebrate, the decorations that they must’ve put in such a short time, and the delicious cake that awaits them –and his eyes starts to glisten with tears like never before. When was the last time he even cried? It was definitely during the first few years of his parents’ death, which had been a _long_ time ever since. _I’m pretty sure you both took part in our meeting and friendship– I don’t think I can stumble upon and befriend them just by sheer luck alone_. His vision blurs, and when he blinks the tears away, there was suddenly the sensation of three heavy bodies that have latched itself onto his leaner one.

“Shinsuke, don’t cry!” Michinari whined, his big onyx eyes glancing up at him with worry from where he had hugged him on the waist, “We’re sorry if you didn’t like it! Was it because of the messy confetti?” In sheer panic, the libero was pushed into the brink of crying as well– although he was crying out of fear that Shinsuke’s special day was ruined, while the grey-haired teen himself was in tears because of a different reason altogether.

 _When was the last time that I even cried tears of joy?_ Shinsuke asked himself.

“What? No!” The grey-haired teen managed to croak out, his throat tightening to fight against the sobs that were threatening to slip out, “I’m just– I’m happy. I’m feeling grateful for all of this. Thank you for celebrating my birthday, you three.” Shinsuke’s pale cheeks were lined with tears now, but his lips were pulled into a genuine smile– he felt at ease, washed in a sense of gratefulness of being surrounded by these people who cared for him. His three friends seemed to have relaxed when they realize that Shinsuke was crying from happiness. The bundle of teenagers stays rooted on the floor, as Shinsuke tries his best to wrap his arms around Aran and Ren’s broad shoulders, his head resting softly on top of Michinari’s black mop of hair. Ren rocks them all for a few minutes until Shinsuke decided to pull away, the tears in his eyes having dried already.

“Let’s eat the food, then.” Aran says, gently cradling Shinsuke’s hand to drag him to the coffee table. The three of them, joined by Shinsuke’s grandmother, sings an awfully off-note birthday song, and they had successfully made the grey-haired teen snort at their attempt. Ren lights the two candles that signifies Shinsuke’s age, the age of sweet 16, and he closes his eyes to make a wish before they proceed to eat the cake, and later, eat the tofu hamburger that his grandmother had cooked. After they were all stuffed, his grandmother had kicked the young boys to lounge at their backyard, accompanied by a chilling glass of iced tea, the gentle whirr of the electronic fan, and the warmth of summer. The three teens urged grey-haired teen to open their presents while they languidly revealed the preparations to a baffled Shinsuke.

 _I hope you’re both always watching me from above_.

The day of his birthday was the only exception when it comes to the execution of his daily routine. As Shinsuke gets older, his “birthday routine” turns to be the routine with the most variations. On his 17th birthday, he lets his three best friends to accompany him to his parents’ gravestone, and he whispers his gratefulness for being able to meet them in his prayers. On his 18th birthday, there was only Miya Atsumu on his side as they both knelt in front of the gravestone, and there was a fondness in Shinsuke’s voice as he introduced his boyfriend to his parents. As the years go by, the people that came to visit his house for his birthday lunch seemed to increase. They would even travel back to Hyogo to celebrate with him, even though everyone had long graduated from Inarizaki. But on his 24th birthday, Shinsuke returns back home to be met with his former teammates and a flurry of confetti, and in his mind, he thinks: I am grateful for everything.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not quite sure about the manners/rituals in visiting a family's grave in Japan, so I followed the information provided in the links below. If there are some misinformation regarding the manners/rituals, please let me know! Thank you for reading until the end, and I hope you enjoyed reading this story<3
> 
> Come talk to me on **Twitter** : @onigirikita
> 
>  **Articles about Japanese funerals and manners in visiting graveyards** :  
> https://matcha-jp.com/en/482#:~:text=A%20Manner%20of%20Visiting%20a%20Grave&text=On%20the%20way%20to%20a,vase%20or%20sweep%20up%20around.
> 
> https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-funeral/#:~:text=Compared%20to%20the%20majority%20of,putting%20them%20in%20the%20ground.&text=In%20a%20Japanese%20style%20cremation,scarring%20small%20children%20for%20life.


End file.
